Afrexai Food Truck

# Food Truck Business Operations

Complete operational playbook for launching and scaling a food truck business. Covers menu engineering, pricing, permits, commissary kitchens, route planning, event booking, and growth from 1 truck to a fleet.

## Menu Engineering & Pricing

### Food Cost Targets by Concept
| Concept | Target Food Cost | Avg Ticket | Items on Menu |
|---------|-----------------|------------|---------------|
| Tacos / Mexican | 28-32% | $12-15 | 8-12 |
| BBQ / Smoked Meat | 30-35% | $14-18 | 6-10 |
| Burgers | 28-32% | $13-16 | 6-8 |
| Asian Fusion | 25-30% | $13-17 | 8-12 |
| Pizza | 22-28% | $12-15 | 6-8 |
| Desserts / Ice Cream | 20-28% | $8-12 | 8-15 |
| Coffee / Beverage | 15-22% | $6-9 | 10-15 |
| Vegan / Health | 28-33% | $14-18 | 8-10 |

### Menu Size Rule
Keep it to 8-12 items MAX. Every item you add slows service, increases waste, and complicates prep. The best trucks run 6 items and crush it.

### Pricing Formula
```
Menu Price = (Ingredient Cost / Target Food Cost %) × 1.0
Example: $3.50 ingredients / 0.30 = $11.67 → price at $12
```

### High-Margin Adds
- Drinks (80%+ margin): bottled water $2-3, canned soda $2-3, fresh lemonade $4-5
- Sides: chips $3, mac & cheese $4-5, coleslaw $3
- Desserts: cookies $3-4, churros $5-6
- Upsell combos: meal + drink + side = $3-5 more per ticket

## Startup Costs

### New Truck Build
| Item | Cost Range |
|------|-----------|
| Used truck (turnkey) | $40,000-80,000 |
| New custom build | $80,000-200,000 |
| Wrap / branding | $2,500-5,000 |
| POS system (Square/Clover) | $500-1,500 |
| Initial inventory | $1,000-3,000 |
| Permits & licenses | $1,000-5,000 |
| Insurance (annual) | $2,000-4,000 |
| Commissary deposit | $500-2,000 |
| Generator (if needed) | $3,000-8,000 |
| Fire suppression system | $3,000-6,000 |
| **Total range** | **$53,500-234,500** |

### Trailer Alternative
Food trailers run $20,000-60,000 — roughly half a truck. Trade-off: need a tow vehicle, harder to park in tight spots, but way...

# Food Truck Business Operations 🚚

Everything you need to launch and scale a food truck — menu engineering, pricing formulas, permits, route planning, commissary requirements, and the path from 1 truck to a fleet.

## What's Inside

- **Menu engineering** — food cost targets for 8 concepts, pricing formulas, high-margin add-ons
- **Startup costs** — full breakdown for trucks ($53K-234K) and trailers ($20K-60K)
- **Permits & licensing** — what's required everywhere, what varies by city, friendly vs tough cities
- **Daily operations** — prep timeline, service checklist, temperature logs
- **Route planning** — revenue by location type, weekly revenue model, seasonality index
- **Financial benchmarks** — P&L targets, break-even calculation, key metrics
- **Commissary kitchens** — what to look for, cost ranges
- **Growth playbook** — 4 stages from single truck to fleet ($0 to $1M+)
- **Marketing** — free and paid tactics that actually work for mobile food

## Who This Is For

- Food truck owners and aspiring operators
- AI agents helping with food service business planning
- Consultants advising food truck startups
- Anyone building a mobile food business

## Quick Start

Install this skill and ask your agent questions like:
- "What should my food cost percentage be for a taco truck?"
- "How much does it cost to start a food truck in Texas?"
- "Help me plan my weekly route for maximum revenue"
- "What permits do I need in Los Angeles?"

## More from AfrexAI

🏪 [Full Context Pack Storefront](https://afrexai-cto.github.io/context-packs/) — 10 industry packs, $47 each
🧮 [AI Revenue Calculator](https://afrexai-cto.github.io/ai-revenue-calculator/) — find where AI saves you money
🤖 [Agent Setup Wizard](https://afrexai-cto.github.io/agent-setup/) — configure your AI agent in minutes

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